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(No Model.) A l `O. R. VAN VECHTEN. MACHINE FOR MAKING'BRAIDED GORDAGE.. No. 445,256. Patented Jal. 27, 1891.

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MACHINE FR MAKING BRAIDED GORDAGE.

No. 445,256. Patented Jan. 27,1891.

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O. R. VAN VECHTEN. MACHINE FOR MAKING BRAIDBD GORDAGE.

Patented Jan. 27,*1891.

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O. R. VAN' VBOHTBN. MACHINE EUR MAKING BRAIDED GORDAGB.

Patented Jan. 27, 1891.

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O.. R. VAN VECHTEN. MACHINE FOR MAKING BRAIDBD GORDAGB.

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o. R. VAN VBGHTBN. MACHINE FOR MAKING BRAIDED GORDAGE.

No. 445,256. Patented Jan. 27, 1891.

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O. R. VAN VEGHTEN. MACHINE POR MAKING BRAIDED GORDAGE.

No. 445,256. PatentedvJan. 27,1891.

WMM/weeen ilnrTnn STATES PATENT Ormea.

ORVILLE R. VAN VECHTEN, OF NORVVICH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ITOHY E. YVARNER, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING BRAIDED CORDAGE.

SPECEFCATL'ON forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,256, dated January 27, 1891.

Application filed April ll, 1890. Serial No. 347,548. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Oli-VILLE R. VAN VECH- TEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Braided Cordage, which improvements are fully set forth and described in the following specication, reference being had to the accompanying eight sheets of drawings.

My said invention is in that class of cordage-machines in which a series of bobbins are carried around a common center and at prescribed intervals are caused to travel around each other to interlace or braid together the multiple of strands carried by said bobbins.

The object of my invention is to provide a cordage-machine that shall be durable and less noisy than many of the machines nowin use and by means of which the tension of the threads as they are successively laid up and interlaced may be easily controlled, as hereinafter explained.

In order to more readily explain the said invention, I have provided the annexed set of drawings, illustrating the same both as a whole and in detail, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine of my new construction having two of the bobbins and their carriers in place on the bed of the machine, also showing the manner in which the several threads are brought together at the top of the machine and delivered to a suitable takeup. Fig. 2 is a top view, somewhatenlarged, of the bed of a machine of my simplest form; and Fig. 3 is a plan of the reverse or under side of said bed. Figs. 4: and 5 show end and side views, respectively, of the bobbin-carrier which I use, each having a bobbin seated thereon. In Figs. 6 and 7 are shown sections of the machine-bed on an enlarged scale, intended to explain, in connection with the speciiication, different positions assumed by the bobbincarriers and the arms that serve to move said carriers at stated times from place to place on the said bed. Fig. S is an elevation or side view of one of the switches, or perhaps more properly turn-tables, by means of which the bobbin-carriers are deflected in their courses, and shows the manner in which said turn-tables are rotatably supported in the machinebed. This said view also shows a portion of one of the arms by which the said carriers are moved and a cam-switch used to operate with said arm under cert-ain conditions to prevent it from engaging with and moving said carriers. Fig. 9 is a bottom end View of the turn-table shown in Fig. S; and Fig. 10, a central vertical sectionalview'of the same, taken on line a: a: of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a central vertical section of the machine-bed on line .e .e of Fig. 2. Figs. 12, 13, and 1i illustrate a certain modification of my invention, by means of which the radial arms which move the bobbin-carriers are moved outward or inward positively at the proper time instead of depending on the cam-switches shown in Fig. 8. Said Fig. 12 is a plan view of a portion of the machine-bed, showing a fixed ear at the center of the said bed, around which travel aseries of smaller gears having attached thereto a corresponding series of cam-disks, the said small gears and cam-disks being arranged to rotate on studs that are secured to the under side of a large disk, which is removed in Fig. 12, but is shown inverted in Fig.13. This disk is grooved radially toreceive and guide the series of arms that move the hobbin-carriers and is secured to and rotates with an upright driving-shaft in the center of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1i, which latter is a vertical sectional view on line y y of said Fig. 13.

Referring to the said drawings, denotes the bed of my machine, the same being supported by legs 2l and provided with uprights 22 on opposite sides of said bed. Depending from bed 2O on opposite sides are bearings 23 23', in which are journaled horizontal shafts 24 24', the former of which constitutes the driving-shaft of the machine and bears on its outer end fast and loose pulleys 25 25. On the inner end of shaft 24 is a bevel-gear 26, that meshes with a larger bevel-gear 27, secured to a hollow vertical shaft 28, that extends upward through bed 2O and is supported at Aits lower end in a journal-bearing that may be held in position by the frame IOO l the fast to the loose pulley, and vice versa,` are shown at the right hand of the machine diately over the centereof bed 20, and throughY this guide the finished cord passes to the take-up.

A shipper 33 and operating-lever 33', by means of which the belt may be thrown from in Fig. l.

The cordage-machine here illustrated is intended to be used in the manufacture of cord of twelve strands. The bed of the machine Y may be briefly described asa stationary disk having twelve turn-tables seated therein and provided with channels or grooves that describe three intersecting squares, whose corners are at the centers of said turn-tables. For convenience in planing out said channels they, in fact, extend to the outer edge of the bed; but in the manufacture of cord the bobbin-carriers travel in said channels only to the perimeter of the turn-tables. Said channels are indicated by 34, and their general arrangement relative to each otherand to the turn-tables (denoted by 35) is best seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings. That side of each of channels 34 that is farthest from the common center of the machine is undercut, as clearly shown in Figs. l and ll, andthe corresponding channels in the turn-tables are similarly undercut, as shown in Figs. 8 and l0.

My bobbin-carrier consists of a barA 36, adapted to fit and slide in the channels 34 and having a longitudinal rib 36', that enters the described under-cut in the bed and turntables.Y Bar 36 has secured to its upper edge an anti-friction roller 37, that is engaged when the machine is in use by one of four arms 38, that project radially from a disk 39, secured to and carried by the upper end of the hollow vertical shaft 28 at the center of the bed 20. These radial arms travel around with a regular steady movement and at stated times engage the rollers 37 and move the attached bobbin-carrier forward through channels 34 to the turn-table at the other end or angle of said channels. The bobbin 40 is seated'on a plate 4l, secured to bar 36, and projecting upward from the same plate is a forked arm 42, to which is hinged alever 43, whose lower arm extends downward and is connected with arm 42 by a spiral spring 45, that tends to draw said lower arm toward the said forked arm 42. The upper arm of the lever 43 is formed with an opening, (see Fig. 5,) in which is a coarsely-threaded rod 46, having secured to its upper end a milled head 4'7, by

means of which said threaded rod maybe ro- Y*bolt being pressed normally towardV the turntable by a spiral spring 49, whose outer end abuts against a plate 50, secured to bed 20. When a bobbin-carrier is moved forward into the turn-table by arm 38, the end of its bar 36 abuts against the end of bolt 48 and moves and holds it out of locking engagement with the turn-table until said turn-table is rotated a quarter of the way around, when said bolt shoots forward into the next channel and again serves as a lock to prevent the undue rotation of the turn-table. rThis is perhaps best illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. In Fig. 6 the bar 36 of the carrier is shown as if advaucing across the turn-table and just about to engage and push back the bolt 48, while in Fig. '7 the turn-table has been rotated a quarter-turn and the bolt has entered the next channel. with plate 4l removed. Then said bar is pushed forward into the turn-table by arm 38, it (the bar) is kept from moving backward inL the main channel by a spring-actuatedY pawl or stop 5l, that drops in the rear of said bar as it passes. If this pawl or some equivaient stop was not provided, the bolt 48 would force bar Sii-rearward inV its channel the instant arm- 38 left the anti-friction roller 37, and would thus lock the turn-table against rotation. Arms 38, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 6, 7, and ll, are held normally outward by springs 52, one end of said springs being attached to a stud or screw 53 in said arm, the other end being secured by screw 54 to the disk 39 or to a plate 55 carried by said disk. A slot in said plate 55, through which screw 53 projects,allowsalimited endwisemovementofthe arms, as willbeunderstood by reference to Figs. 6 and 7. It will now be apparent that means must be provided to partially rotate the turntables 35 atl stated times to permit arms 38 to reach the roller 37 and move the bobbincarrier forward in its proper channel. This is done by positive mechanism on the under side of bed 20, as best seen in Fig. 3, the necessary power 'and motion being communicated by a disk 56, that is secured to and travels with the central shaft 28 and is formed with a siuuous or serpentine cam-groove 57 near its perimeter. 'lhe turn-tables 35 are shouldered down to tit in the counterbored bed 20, (see Fig. 8,) and secured to their lower ends are both ratchet and cam disks 58 and 59, respectively, the latter being provided with four breaks or deflections in its annular groove. This cam-groove receives the end of an arm In these figures the bar 36 is shown IIO GO, projecting laterally from a bar G1, which is seated in bed 2O and free to be raised or lowered by cam 59 to bring at the proper time a cam-switch 62 into the path of a roller 63, carried by arm 38, as is best illustrated in Fig. 8. These camswitehes 62 are also seen in Figs. 2, G, and 7. Vvhen it is desired to leave a bobbin-carrier in the turn-table, as is necessary at stated times in braiding, one of said switches (52 is raised by canrgroove 59, and as arm 258 advances its roller (53 engages said switch and the arm is moved inward against the torce of spring 52, and its end is thus carried past the roller37 on the bobbincarrier, leaving said bobbin-carrier in the turn-table.

Referring now to Fig. 3, 6l denotes a leverarm secured to the under side of bed 20 by pivot-screw G5 and having at its inner end an anti-frictional roller that enters the serpentine cam-groove 57, already described. The opposite end of lever (il has pivoted thereto a lever GG, whose shorter arm t'orms a pawl to engage the teeth of ratchet-disk 5S. The longer arm of lever U6 curves around the said ratchet-disk and engages a stud G7, that is attached to the bolt e8 and projects downward through a slot (5S in bed 20. (See also lefthand side ot Fig. G, which shows said bolt partly cut away to expose slot GS in the bed beneath.) A spring (il), secured to arm (A, bears on the short or pawl end ot' lever 6U and tends to hold said pawl in engagement with the ratchet-teeth. A detent- 70, secured to bed 20, is provided to prevent backward rotation ot' the ratchet-disk and connect-ed turn-table. `When the machine is in motion, levers (it are being constantly rocked on their fulcra by the serpentine cam-groove 57 and the described pawls engage one tooth ot the ratchet-disks 5S at each complete movement of said levers, thus slowly rotating the turntables until a quarter-turn has been completed, when the forward movement of bolt t8 causes its attached stud U7 to force the longer arm of lever ft) inward. This throws the shorter or pawl end out of operative engagement with the ratchet-teeth, and for a time said pawl moves forward and backward idly. `\Vhen, however, a bobbin -carrier is moved into the turn-table and bolt 8 pushed outward by it, the pawl is again allowed t0 engage the ratchet-teeth and im mcdiately be gins to rotate said turn-table another quarter of a revolution. It will thus be seen that the entering ot the bobbin-carrier in a turn-table acts to throw out the bolt 4S, and that such movement ot the bolt allows the pawl to engage the teeth of the ratchet, and that the constantlyoseillating pawl serves to rotate or partially rotate the turn-table to allow the bobbin-carrier to depart by the proper channel 3l. The cam-switches 5l also provide automatic means for controlling the arms 38 to cause said arms to take the bobbin-carriers from the turn-tables or leave them there, as may be necessary, and it will be obvious that force inward arms 3S I provide a system of cams, gears, and levers that operate together to draw said arms inward positively. In this lastnamed construction I provide a disk 7l in place of the described disk 30 and slot the same on its under side to receive the arms 38. I also secu re to said disk 71 by studs orscrews 72 a series of small gears 73, that carry with them as they rotate disks 7l, having eamgrooves 75.

7G indicates lever-arms having one end connected to arms 38 and the opposite end connected to the under side of disk 7l, while a roll on the side of said lever-arms enters the cam-grooves 75.

A gear 76 is secured non-rotzitably on bed 20 beneath disk 7l and is of such size that when the several parts are assembled it meshes with the series ol smaller gears 723, which latter as they are carried around by and with disk 7l are caused to rotate. This rotates the attached cam-disks 7i, and through the level'- arms 7G the radial arms 25S are moved outward or inward, according` to the shape of the cams. The central shaft 2S is made tubular, so that a solid core may, il' desired, be introduced into the cord.

rlhe described tuin-tables, iu addition to turning the bobbin-carriers, as explained above, also serve a valuable purpose in putting the desired tension into the cord as it is braided. \\'hen the bobbin-carricr is moved forward into the turn-table by arm 3S, the thread is left with but little tension; but so soon as the pawl. 66 begins to rotate said turntable that. end of bar 3U over which the tension-screw -lti located is gradually carried away from the common centerof the machine, and as a consequence the thread is gradually strained taut, the peculiarconstruction (pawland ratchet mechanism) providing great power and workingindependently of the various other parts of the machine.

By providing machines having suitable numbers ot turn-tables cord of any number of ends or threads may be produced, and by varying the time and movement of the different bobbin-carriers cable-laid and other forms of cord may be made. Many of the machines now in use for making braided cord have but a limited range ot' work. In other words, cord of differentsizes cannot be readily made on such machines; but with my described machine all of the commercial sizes of such cord can be produced on a single machine by simply supplying thread or yarn of suitable size and properly regulating the tension.

Having thus described my invention, I

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ing squares, as set forth, a series of chan` neled turn-tables located at the angles of said squares, and mechanism, substantially as described, for partially rotating said turn-tables at intervals, for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with a stationary bed, having seated therein a series of turn-tables, both bed and turn-tables being channeled, as set forth, mechanism, as described, for partially rotating said turn-tables at intervals, and spring-actuated bolts that enter said turntables at each quarter-revolution, all substantially as specified.

3. In combination with a bed and a series ot' turn-tables seated therein, both bed and turnftables being channeled, as set forth, mechanism, as described, for partially rotating said turn-tables at intervals, spring-actu: ated bolts that may enter said turn-tables at each quarter-revolution, and a series of arms radiating from and carried by a horizontal disk secured to a Vertical shaft at the center of the complete machine, all substantially as and for the objects specified.

4. In combination with a channeled bed and a series of correspondingly-channeled turn-tables seated in said bed, as set forth, limwl-antl-iatcliet mechanism, as described, for partially rotating said turn-tables at intervals, spring-actuated bolts that enter said turn-tables at each quarter-revolution, and a series of paWls l, located at the entrance to said turn-tables in the paths of the bobbin- 'carriers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In combination with a channeled bed and a series ot' correspondingly-channeled turn-tables seated in said bed, as set forth, paWl-and-ratchet mechanisms for partially rotating said turn-tables at intervals, and a series of arms 38, radiating from a rotatable disk at the center of said bed, said arms being capable of endwise movement in said disk and being forced normally outward by springs 52, substantially as specified.

(5. In combination with a channeled bed and a series of correspondingly-channeled turn-tables seated therein, as set forth, mechanism, as described, for rotating said turntables, spring-pressed bolts that enter said turn-tables at each quarter-revolution, a series of arms radiating from a rotatable disk carried by a shaft at the center of the said bed, said arms being provided with rollers 63 on their under sides,a series of cam-switches 62, vertically movable in said bed, and mech-- anism, substantially as described, for :raising said switches into the pathof rollers 63 at stated times, for the purpose specified.

7. In combination with a channeled bed and a series of correspondiugly-channeled turn-tables seated therein, as set forth, a central vertical shaft, a disk 39, secured to the upper end of said shaft and carrying a series of radial arms 38, a disk 56, secured to said central shaft beneath the said channeled bed and provided near its perimeter With a serpentine cam-groove, as set forth, paWl-andratchet mechanisms, substantially as described, for partially rotating said turn-tables, and lever-connections between said serpentine cam-groove and pawls, all for the objects specified.

8. In combination With a channeled bed and a series of correspondingly-channeled turn-tables seated therein, springpressed bolts that enter the turn-table channels at each quarter-rotation, as set forth, each of said bolts being provided Witha stud 67, that projects through a slot in the machine-bed, an oscillating pawl having one end adapted to engage ratchet-teeth on one of the said turn-tables and the opposite end projecting into the path of one of said studs 67 in such manner that when said spring-pressedboltis in locking engagement with the turn-table the said pawl end is outof operative engagement With the said ratchet-teeth, and mech-V anism, as set forth, for operating said paWls, all being substantially as and for the objects specified.

9. A stationary bed channeled to form intersecting squares, a series of correspondingly-channeled turn-tables located at the angles of said squares, and mechanism, as described, for rotating said turn-tables, in combination With a series of radial arms carried bya disk concentric with said bed and a series of bobbin-carriers iitted to slide in said bed and turn-tables, as and for the purpose specified.

10. In combination With a channeled bed and a series of correspondingly-chant]eled turn-tables seated therein, as set forth, mechanism, substantially as described, for rotating said turn-tables, a central vertical shaft carrying at its upper end a disk 39, with longitudinally-movable radial arms 38, and at its lower end a bevel-gear 27, and a `horizontal driving-shaft bearing a bevel-gear 26, that meshes With the said gear 27, and fast and loose pulleys, substantially as and for the objects specified.

()RVILLE R. VAN VECHTEN.

y lVitnesses:

FRANK H. ALLEN, ALONZO M. LUTHER.

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